Manchester City maintained their relentless title charge with a comfortable 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Erling Haaland was once again the star, scoring twice and assisting the other goal, while also making Premier League history by surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally.
Haaland Makes History: 104 Premier League Goals
The Norwegian striker's brace took his Premier League tally to 104 goals, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's total of 103 across his two spells at Manchester United. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the speed: Haaland reached the milestone in just 114 matches, compared to Ronaldo's 236 appearances.
With 19 Premier League goals before Christmas, Haaland has equalled the record held by Andy Cole (1993-94), Kevin Phillips (1999-00), and Luis Suárez (2013-14). His 38 goals across all competitions for club and country this season suggest he is on course for the most prolific campaign of his already legendary career.
Match Report: Clinical City Too Strong for Struggling Hammers
City wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Just five minutes in, Phil Foden pulled the ball back for Haaland, whose initial effort was saved by Alphonse Areola before the striker pounced on the rebound to fire home left-footed.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 38th minute with a sublime team goal. Rayan Cherki wriggled past Mateus Fernandes and fed Haaland, who unselfishly laid off for Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutch midfielder, signed from AC Milan for £45m in the summer, smashed the ball into the roof of the net for his first goal at the Etihad.
West Ham showed more urgency after the break, with Gianluigi Donnarumma producing crucial saves to deny Freddie Potts and Crysencio Summerville. But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished in the 69th minute when substitutes Savinho and Rico Lewis combined, and a defensive mix-up between Jean-Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker-Peters allowed Haaland to rifle home his second.
Guardiola: "It Will Not Be Enough If We Don't Improve"
Despite the comprehensive victory - City's seventh in succession across all competitions - Pep Guardiola was typically demanding in his post-match assessment.
"I'm happy, I cannot deny, but the way we play with the ball we have to improve or it will not be enough in March or April to be a contender to win the league. I said to my players: 'Merry Christmas everyone but it will not be enough if we do not improve'."
The City boss praised Haaland's contribution but insisted his team must find better positions in possession.
"Always I have to thank Erling for the goals. Defensively we are improving. But with the ball we were away. The way you attack depends on how the opponents defend and you have to be in the right positions to make our play more fluid. We were not there."
Nuno "Concerned" as West Ham Face Christmas in Relegation Zone
For West Ham, this was a 10th defeat of a dismal campaign, leaving them 18th and three points from safety. They are guaranteed to spend Christmas in the relegation zone for the fifth time in their history.
"We are concerned about the situation that we are in," admitted Nuno Espírito Santo. "It requires a lot of improvement from ourselves. We started really badly again, giving balls away, not applying the way we wanted to do. Everything becomes harder when we concede so early."
Player Ratings
Manchester City
| Player | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | 7.5 | Crucial saves in the second half when West Ham threatened |
| Matheus Nunes | 9 | Man of the Match. Superb at right-back, then stepped into midfield seamlessly |
| Ruben Dias | 7 | Typical commanding performance, set the defensive tone |
| Josko Gvardiol | 7.5 | City's best defender, dominant in challenges and progressive with the ball |
| Nico González | 7 | Solid display before being replaced at half-time |
| Bernardo Silva | 7 | Workmanlike performance, kept the machine ticking |
| Tijjani Reijnders | 7.5 | Excellent goal and smart positional play throughout |
| Phil Foden | 7 | Key assist for the opener, always a threat |
| Rayan Cherki | 7.5 | Created numerous chances, instrumental in second goal build-up |
| Erling Haaland | 8 | Two goals, one assist, historic night - could have had a hat-trick |
West Ham United
| Player | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alphonse Areola | 6 | Made saves but could do little about the goals. Kept the score respectable |
| Kyle Walker-Peters | 4 | Error for the third goal, struggled throughout |
| Max Kilman | 4 | Left Haaland unmarked multiple times, slipped before the third goal |
| Jean-Clair Todibo | 5 | Best of the defenders but involved in mix-up for third goal |
| Ollie Scarles | 4 | Isolated and exposed against Cherki, forced off injured |
| Mateus Fernandes | 5 | Mixed bag - good driving runs but lost possession for second goal |
| Lucas Paquetá | 4 | Anonymous for the most part, minimal impact |
| Jarrod Bowen | 5 | Worked hard but couldn't convert chances in the second half |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Manchester City | West Ham |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 66% | 34% |
| Shots | 19 | 8 |
| Shots on Target | 8 | 3 |
| Corners | 6 | 0 |
What's Next?
Manchester City's victory temporarily lifted them to the top of the Premier League, one point ahead of Arsenal before the Gunners' trip to Everton. City now enjoy a short Christmas break before hosting Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
For West Ham, the situation is increasingly desperate. Three points adrift of safety with their winless run extended to six matches, Nuno Espírito Santo faces a pivotal period if he is to steer the Hammers away from the drop zone.
